Ninety years later, the theories on spatial orientation in flight are “returning to Italy”. Following a long period of historical and scientific research, the prestigious Journal of History of Neurosciences recognises in Father Agostino Gemelli the precursor of the theories on’spatial orientation in flight. The female authors' article Air Force Medical Colonel Paola Verde, Head of the Aerospace Medicine Department (R.M.A.S.) of the Air and Space Experimentation Division (DASAS) e Laura Piccardi, full professor of psychology at La Sapienza University, reconstructs and compares the theories of Father Gemelli, founder of Italian aeronautical and experimental psychology, with the theories of illustrious international scholars, all subsequent to him, demonstrating their originality.
Father Gemelli's activity, which developed in the 1920s and 1930s of the last century, often illustrated in pamphlets written in Italian or German, at a time when the internet did not exist and Italy had just emerged defeated from the war, is quickly forgotten. However Twin, Pilot and Medical Colonel of the Reserve of the Air Force Health Corps, is the author of exceptional contributions to the understanding of spatial cognition, particularly in aviation contexts, and described his theories decades before contemporary scientific discoveries.
During the First World War, A. Gemelli innovated the way pilots were selected, prioritising their aptitudes rather than their physical abilities. For this reason, he is to be considered the forerunner of the “select in”, based on the verification of flight aptitudes and abilities, as opposed to the then customary “opt out”, meaning discarding drivers after having recruited them based on extremely vague indications such as “hearing and vision excellent, weight up to 75 kg”.
His work anticipated crucial developments in spatial cognition, including the concepts of field dependence/independence, which refer to an innate predisposition that manifests in two different ways of perceiving and processing information from the surrounding environment. With his insight, he also anticipated the idea of cognitive map, meaning a mental representation of the environment that surrounds us. He examined perception through Gestalt psychology, that is a psychological approach that investigates the way in which we perceive and organise information, demonstrating that people create mental images of space instead of merely recording what they see.
Furthermore, the perceptual space it is organised according to principles that allow the individual to rapidly analyse something extremely complex: for example, a person will tend to group similar or neighbouring objects together. This way of organising the external world translates into successful perceptual processing that enables the pilot to respond in incredibly quick and accurate times. Father Gemelli critically analysed spatial orientation, distinguishing between terrestrial and aerial navigation, and recognising the complex interaction between internal cognitive characteristics and external environmental factors. Finally, he anticipated modern research on spatial representation, emphasising the dynamic nature of perception and individual differences in cognitive processing. His brilliant insights, in relation to current knowledge, demonstrate his deep understanding of spatial cognition, perception and piloting skills investigated using the very first principles of psychotechnics. We have Gemelli to thank if even today, in multi-crew aircraft, the captain sits on the left, because the reactions of the left limb are faster. His contributions, largely ignored after the Second World War, represent, in general, an important exploration of the mechanisms underlying’spatial awareness And of the aviation psychology.
It R.M.A.S. he inherited the scientific legacy of Father Agostino Gemelli to develop the criteria used to carry out the operational assessment of pilots when it is necessary to resolve doubts regarding fitness. The main task of the Department remains training and, over the years, cutting-edge technological tools have been adopted for every specific flight domain: such as the Hypobaric chamber – a watertight structure with reduced atmospheric pressure that exposes the human body to an oxygen-depleted environment; the Space Disorientator – an oscillating gondola that reproduces the piloting of an aircraft, where pilots can experience the effects of disorientation and be able to recognise their characteristics during real flight; the ejection seat (ejection seat trainer) – which simulates ejection from the aircraft in the event of a severe malfunction; and the swivel chair (Barany Chair) – which recreates, among other things, some effects of a spin and is used to desensitise student pilots to airsickness. With this specific training, pilots become aware of their psychophysical limits during their missions for the benefit of greater Flight Safety.
It Department of Aviation and Space Medicine it is one of the joints of the Air Experimentation Department of Aeronautics and Space. Its tasks include both experimentation in the field of aerospace and aviation medicine and the aerophysiological training of flight personnel. Experimentation focuses on the body's response to the flight environment, the effects of hypoxia, spatial disorientation and night vision, whilst in aerophysiological training the Unit operates in accordance with international standards adopted at aerospace medicine centres in allied countries, with whom it maintains close collaborative ties aimed at the mutual recognition of the training programmes used and the exchange of culture and experience.
The Air Experimentation Department of Aeronautics and Space brings together, under a single command, all the study and experimentation bodies of the Italian Air Force. The Division represents the main advisory body of the Armed Force and the Defence Administration for flight testing of aircraft and weapon systems, chemical and physical analysis and evaluation of structural and consumable materials, training and experimentation in the aerospace medicine sector, operational software management and operational verification of weapon systems. Furthermore, D.A.S.A.S. provides technical-logistical and operational support to the bodies of the Italian Air Force and other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps located on the airfield and manages, through the ATOC (Air Terminal Operations Centre), flights destined for operations outside national borders. Pratica di Mare airport is the leading Italian military air base for traffic and aircraft movements and is also the sole national military health entry point.
